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10 Tips for Preparing Your Home to Sell

9 Nov
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Deciding to sell your home during a pandemic while in the middle of an election year when it’s a sellers market and there’s very low inventory and also during the “off-season” is not always the best decision one can make.  LOL… But we did it!  And because we choose the most stressful time possible to try to sell a home, I wanted to share how we made the process a little smoother when it came to getting our home sold.  Here’s are 10 tips for preparing your home to sell!

OUR HOME TOUR

Please note.  Moving is stressful.  There’s no way around that no matter what time of year you do it.  So, just be prepared.

CLEAN

As a looking buyer, I was amazed at how many houses we went into that were not CLEAN.  I would have been embarrassed by some if they were my house, but to each their own.  However, an unkempt home can turn buyers off.  Not only does it make it seem like you haven’t cared for the home, but it’s just not appealing.  So clean up as much as possible and make it all sparkle.  Make it sparkle for your photos too.  Do it yourself, or plan on having it cleaned professionally once before photos and once before you go live on the market so it’s nice and tidy for showings.

DECLUTTER

Don’t be afraid to let go of things.  This is the perfect time to go through closets and drawers.  Declutter as much as possible.  It’s not a bad idea if you have a lot you want to keep to looking into getting a storage unit for a short period of time.  We boxed up things we could live without for a while but didn’t quite want to let go of yet and sent them over to storage.

ANNUAL INSPECTIONS TO CONSIDER

CONSIDER SMELLS

I don’t know about you but walking into a house that doesn’t smell fresh and clean isn’t something that gives me good vibes.  I can’t get over some smells.  So maybe consider investing in lots of Lysol and room sprays or a great diffuser that you can put in some really appealing smells.  I prefer the Anthropologie Volcano smell, because it smells like fresh, citrus, homey to me but some prefer Vanilla or whatever.  Just make sure you don’t cook salmon or bacon the day before you are going to have showings.

PAINT

While you don’t want to invest a ton of money if you don’t have to, paint will give the home a nice fresh new look.  If preparing your home to sell, consider repainting some rooms!  Consider having your entire downstairs painted a nice neutral color to give the home a newer feel which is what buyers want.

ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSETS

Seems silly, but if a closet is organized and looks great, people will love it!  Messy spaces don’t help to sell houses.  Clean it up.  Plus, if it looks like there’s lots of room that’s even better!  Buyers are always looking for loads of storage!  This is another place to move things to storage if you need to.  Create the illusion that you haven’t had your closet filled to the brim for the last few years by removing anything unnecessary.  Channel your own Home Edit.

TACKLE YOUR TO-DO LIST

If you had a list of small things you were hoping to get to, these little updates could make all the difference!  We did a walk through the house and noted what all we figured we HAD to do and also things we had WANTED to do.  In the end tackle all the things and even a few wants because any buyer (whoever it ended up being) will appreciate or notice those things. You might need to repaint your sideboards, for example, especially if they are looking worn and discolored.  Or you might need to bring in a professional for help with maintenance issues, such as a HVAC company if your AC is in need of repair. When you have tackled such things around your home, the buyer will have fewer reasons to not consider your property.

POWER WASH

This can really go a long way.  Obviously if you are selling mid-winter, maybe not a good idea, but we did this in the fall and it actually made our porch area look almost brand new!  Not only does it clean your house up, but it gives it a bright and fresh look too!  Here’s one similar to the one we used and this is one easy thing that can get overlooked when preparing your home to sell, but don’t forget the small things!

 

EDIT FURNITURE

I don’t have have ton of extra furniture laying around or randomly sitting in rooms, but make sure each room has a purpose and that it’s easy to walk through.  Also, consider rearranging your furniture so it’s inviting to buyers and they can see themselves sitting there.  I noticed after our showings that we had one chair that someone pulled out to sit in each time.  It was kind of funny how the same chair was sat in, but I’m hoping that made them feel comfortable.  We ended up selling in 2 days so something worked.  And if one of your favorite spots has furniture that looks dingy or old, consider pulling it out for showings.

CURB APPEAL

We have pretty minimal and easy to take care of landscaping but you’d be surprised how far a few bags of mulch will go in making your house stand out on the block!  If you are preparing your home to sell, take a moment to trim the bushes, add mulch or even just mow and rake. One of the other ways that you can get your home’s curb appeal levels up is to revamp the garden. Consider setting it into zones, with dog turf in one area to make it friendly for your pup, and even a climbing frame area for the kids. You can put down a patio, too, and show off a more low maintenance area in the garden. You can ensure that your home looks good enough to buy with the simple addition of color, and the right turf will help you here. Again, make your house look like it’s been well maintained and you’ll reap the rewards!

DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE GARAGE

If you are like us, your garage plays a few roles.  But people understand that… And people know you are moving… Don’t get too caught up in the messy garage.  Try to make it presentable, but if it’s full of moving boxes and stuff you’ve just pulled from the house, don’t worry about it!  They aren’t buying your house for the garage and they know what a garage looks like!

So there you have it.  Those are my top 10 tips to prepare your house for sale and market!  It doesn’t have to be overly overwhelming but it is a lot of work!  Unless you are a minimalist in which case, it might be much easier for you!  But either way, I hope you found these tips helpful and good luck with preparing your home to sell and your move!

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Categories:
2020, Blog, Organization, Our Home, Packing
Tags:
for sale, moving, organization, our home, selling your house, tips for selling

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A little about me…

Hey There! I'm Abby. Some people started calling me "Little Miss Martha" a few years back and this blog followed. I started it to share my DIY wedding progress, but it's now evolved to include other good things. Read More…

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Abby || Lifestyle Blogger
At the start of every school year, I looked forwar At the start of every school year, I looked forward to the one year the girls would be together in school and get to ride the bus together. Well, this is that year, but  instead they but they are split up with Ella heading into 5th at the Intermediate school that’s probably bigger than my high school and a class of what I heard was 700+ 🤯 and Olive heading into Kindergarten at Shamrock ☘️ which also might be bigger than Dwenger 🤣. Can’t wait to see the what this year brings! 

Cheers to a great 2022-2023 school year!
If you’ve been here a while, you know I love a g If you’ve been here a while, you know I love a good tablescape!  This one comes to you from @indyspotpicnics!  She set this up for a fun litttle #CreatorsNightOut with @theindymommy!  Glad to partake in the fun and meet up with some other creative ladies! 

Until next time…🙌🏻
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#indycreatorsociety #indyentrepreneurs #indybloggers #summerpicnic #summernights🌙 #creativegatherings
Ready for a beautiful creators evening with @thein Ready for a beautiful creators evening with @theindymommy and this lovely picnic-scape from @indyspotpicnics! 

Lovely picnic really set up by @indyspotpicnics but felt like playing magical momma! ;) 
Thanks for the invite! 
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#theindymommy #indycreatorsociety #creatornight #indyblogger #welcomefriends #indyspotpicnics
Truth bomb today! I’d love to be a feed that’ Truth bomb today!  I’d love to be a feed that’s beautifully consistent with gorgeous styled photos, but let’s be real, these kids are with me nonstop and usually they have something on their faces and we go places like Costco and Waterparks to make memories… so… 
Welcome to my real world!  Hope you hang around! 
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#clownjuice #marriedacarney #sometimessharingbeautiful #realmomlife #conflictedcreative #wetry #welcometomyworld #momlife #justamom
Just a couple hours south of Indy, you’ll find @ Just a couple hours south of Indy, you’ll find @graduatehotels where some #strangerthings are happening… 

We surprised our Super Fab daughter with a stay in their Stranger Things Suite a few weeks ago and boy was she surprised… 
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#strangerthingsfan #strangerthingsdecor #strangerthingssuite #thegradutaehotels #upsidedownatgraduate #theupsidedown #summerbucketlist
Back in July we decided to head on a Strange adven Back in July we decided to head on a Strange adventure. It was a Surprise for Ella, our Stranger Things Super Fan!  After becoming a fan myself, thanks to her, I started looking into Stranger Things experiences!  I mean, it’s based in Indiana so why shouldn’t there be something here?!?

Well… @graduatehotels came back having a Stranger Things suite and after talking it over with Mike, we decided it was the perfect summer weekend away with a twist! 

Scroll to see a few pics, head over to the blog #linkinmybio for a recap of the whole experience and keep an eye out for a reels a bit later! 
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#strangerthingsfan #strangerthingsexperience #strangerthingssuite #upsidedownatgraduate #thegraduate #upsidedown #indianafun #visitbloomington #summerbucketlist
Just some minor updates in the guest room for unde Just some minor updates in the guest room for under $50!  New DIY curtain and rods inspired by West Elm soon to be on the blog!  Check the link in bio now for guest room must haves! 
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#copycatchic #lookforless #diyhome #guestroomdecor #guestroom #welcomeguests #diyhomeprojects
Preparing the guest room for visitors! It was abo Preparing the guest room for visitors!  It was about a month since anyone had been here and now we are a revolving door again!  What’s one thing you love to see in guest rooms when you visit? 

When guests come to town, you want them to be comfortable. While this space is really a mishmash of things old, older, and some new, it doesn’t have to feel like a hand-me-down room! 

Check out my must haves for your guest room over on the blog… #linkinmybio 

Follow my shop @Little Miss Martha Blog on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#liketkit #LTKhome #LTKfamily #LTKstyletip
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#guestroom #guestroomdecor #guestroommusthaves #visitors #welcomefriends #cozyspaces
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#runningupthathill #strangerthingssoundtrack #strangerthingsfan #strangerthingseveryday #katebush #katebushmusic
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The 2022 Indiana State Fair is just a few days awa The 2022 Indiana State Fair is just a few days away! 

We have the BEST memories going to the fair and make more every year!  Plus, there’s something for everyone. 

What’s your fave fair memory?! 

The popular $2 Tuesdays are gone since the fair is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Instead, fairgoers can take advantage of $3 Thursdays, with $3 admission, $3 midway rides and $3 food options at each food stand.
@indystatefair 
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#indianastatefair #ourstatefairisagreatstatefair #indianafairgrounds #statefair #summermemories #indiana
I saw somewhere it’s National Carousel Day! We I saw somewhere it’s National Carousel Day!  We love us some gorgeous old school carousels… how about you?! We have to ride them wherever we see them!  I blame my former life carnie husband 🤣

Do you have a local fave? 

Pics by swipe! 
1. Navy Pier, Chicago @navypierchicago
2. Forest Park, Noblesville @noblesvillein @noblesvilleparks 
3. FW Zoo, Fort Wayne @fwkidszoo 
4. Charming Carousel, @waltdisneyworld 
5. Kringle’s Carousel, Merry Prairie, @connerprairie 
6. Indianapolis Zoo Carousel, @indianapoliszoo 
7.  Carousel Wishes & Dreams (old Broadripple carousel), Indianapolis @childrensmuseum 
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#nationalcarouselday #carousels #carouselsofinstagram #letsride #carouselhorse #carousel #indiana #chicago #waltdisneyworld
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Well, we’ve got something 🤣
Here’s my IG tribute to our 12th wedding Anniversary (requested by my mom because I posted only on FB over the weekend). Haha. 

Here’s to 12+ more… unless we go to Bongies, then there might be trouble 🤣! 

Love you ❤️
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#twelveyears #weddinganniversary❤️ #12yearsmarried #longertogether #bettertogether #happyanniversary❤️ #feelingvintage
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Whatever it is, I don't want to miss the opportunity to make memories and take advantage of a little adventure... 

But there's something to be said about home... 
Your own bed... 
Your comfy couch...
The way your home smells... 
Your friends... 
Your routines... 

So, let's all take a moment to take it all in, be grateful for all that we have at home and realize that, for a lot of people, home is their happy place, and we are the lucky ones. 

*On that note, I'm working on a few things that should be posted soon!  I'm excited to share our recent travels, a couple DIYs, and more!  I am always slow to share because I just feel like there aren't enough hours in the day, but please hang in there with me because I hope I offer something to all those who follow here!  It's a place where you'll find good things, but sometimes, good things come to those who wait patiently on a busy working momma who is tired! LOL.  Keep an eye out for new content soon! 
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Over the weekend we surprised the girls with “a Over the weekend we surprised the girls with “a day away” trip. They had no idea where or what we were doing. More yo come on those details, but until I get all that ready to share, let’s just take in the amazing decor at @graduatehotels Bloomington! 😍

Have you been to a Graduate Hotel?  They are pretty dreamy 😍
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#graduatehotels #hotellobby #boutiquehotel #visitbloomington #indianauniversity #studyinghard #weekendgetaways #visitindiana #suprisetrip
Nothing like a sparkler to bring her back to her y Nothing like a sparkler to bring her back to her youth (that wasn’t that long ago and honestly really isn’t in the past)! Happy 4th! 
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Do you have your kids help with chores? And how d Do you have your kids help with chores?  And how do you motivate them?! We’ve been working hard over here this summer trying to get the kids to help around the house.  It’s like pulling teeth to get them to put their damn shoes away!  Does anyone else have this problem too?!

So I created this little chore printable that includes chores and monopoly-ish money. And so far, my kids seem to respond well to cold hard cash 💵. They don’t do every chore every week, but Ella just bought something “on her own” so I basically got my money back!  Hahah. 

The banker comes on Friday to cash out and then they can spend the fruits of their labor over the weekend…
So far so good… 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Printable is on the blog!  #linkinmybio 
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#kidschores #chorechart #coldhardcash #motivatethekids #cleanhouse #wellcleaner #kidapproved
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